Employment Needs of Amish Youth. Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session. Special Hearing.

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC.

A Senate subcommittee hearing received testimony concerning a proposed amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to permit Amish youth, ages 14-18, to work under adult supervision in sawmills. Current Department of Labor regulations ban the employment of minors in sawmill operations. This poses a problem for Amish youth who finish their formal education in the eighth grade and have very few employment opportunities. Employment in family-run sawmills and woodworking shops provides an opportunity for them to continue their instruction in the workplace under adult supervision with continuing guidance. The Amish view such work as a form of vocational education, called learning by doing. Amish families have received large fines for having their own children in the workplace, even when they were not in unsafe conditions. Congressmen, representatives of Amish organizations, and Amish people affected by the FLSA gave testimony in favor of the amendments. A representative of the Department of Labor discussed the extremely high injury rates in lumber and woodworking occupations, the Department's efforts to accommodate the unique circumstances of Amish youth, and the difficulties in enforcing amendment provisions prescribing distances to be maintained between adolescent workers and hazardous situations. (SV)